Review : DEWAR’s White Label

The DEWAR’S was established in 1864 with White Label making its debut much later in 1899 by master blender A. J Cameron. In terms of age, this scotch is certainly the youngest from the Dewar’s stable but holds great popularity especially in North America. In India, however this position is filled by the more popular JW Red Label or the Ballantine’s Finest. But does this liquor stand up to these competitors or does it stay hidden in their shadows… scroll down and let your eyes decide !!

The bottle is in no way a show stopper, and hones a very simplistic, plain and rather bland build. The spirit has no age statement, but should be anywhere between 3-5 years blended with a combination of over 40 whiskies aged in oak barrels from the highlands of Scotland.

ABV : 40%/80 Proof

Eye: Light shade of Gold, 18k.

Nose: Smoky burnt char exposes itself on the first whiff, followed by a combination of sour green apples and pear. There is certainly a play of sugar and spice with the slight sweetness mingling with white pepper and dried bay leaves. Somewhere I also get a waft of sun dried grass and maybe a tad bit of a phenol-like medication.

Taste: The White Label is quite smooth and rounded, with hardly any punch from the alcohol, thanks to the grain whiskies blended into the mix. In terms of flavors, the first wave clearly is an abundance of peat and charred wood (less peat more wood to be specific) followed with a slight bit of sweetness. The sourness from the apples resonates in the palate while the peppers move over to the finish.

Finish: Pleasantly warm with the spice tapering off till the end.

The Dewar’s White does catch my fancy and I might prefer this over the many sweeter blends that are available in the Indian market. I remember once reading a portion of an online article which compared the Dewar’s White Label to the Glenfiddich 12 and I can see why; I might not completely agree, but there are resemblances.

All in all, this liquor sports the right amount of sweetness, bares an interesting nose and has a pleasant although not great finish. For those wanting to try something different over the weekend, or need a break from all those sweet blends might just want to pick up this bottle at the liquor store.